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“I’m not marrying anyone who doesn’t love me.” Her words were said softly but firmly.
“Can we fly kites?” Maddie asked, standing to her feet and looking at the neatly folded kites on the sand.
“Sure,” Dakota said after meeting his gaze for a minute just to make sure that it was okay, and he wasn’t going to die of hunger or something, apparently.
The girls picked up the kites and walked a little bit away.
“I could tell you that I love you, but I’d rather show you,” he said, not forgetting what she had said before the girls had interrupted about the kites.
“I think that’s probably the only kind of love I’m interested in. Love that has a little bit of action behind it. Seeing the other kind, it’s just words and empty promises, and I’m not interested in that.”
“And I wouldn’t want that for you,” he said, meaning it.
“All right then.”
“We still on for church tomorrow?”
His question made her smile, as he intended, and she nodded. He offered his hand, and they stood together.
Maybe he should have let go of it, but he didn’t, liking the way it felt in his and holding on to it.
She didn’t try to pull away, and that made his heart smile.
Maybe there was some hope for them after all.
Chapter 16
Everything was readyfor the big grand opening on Monday morning. Even if it hadn’t been, Dakota wouldn’t have skipped church. There were some things she couldn’t live without and God was one of them. That was a lesson she had to learn as she aged, since it wasn’t necessarily one she knew when she was younger.
“Did you change your shoes?” she called in to Rachel.
“I did, but I like the other ones better.” Rachel’s look was sullen as she walked out of her room in the nicer shoes Dakota had requested she change into. If this was how she was at six, Dakota could only imagine how she would be as a teen.
Was it something she was doing wrong? Could she be a better parent? A better mother?
A knock sounded at the door, firm and confident and she had no doubt it was Ryan.
